The Amazing Race 15 is over and the finale action was once again intense, as San Diego couple, Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney, hit the Amazing race mat in first place after a nail biting final leg in Las Vegas. Although the three remaining teams all left Prague at the same time, Meghan and Cheyne found a way to get the Amazing Race jump on brothers, Sam and Dan, and Nashville couple, Brian and Ericka, as The Amazing Race put each team through the paces.

With a roadblock high atop Mandalay Bay and a detour inside the Monte Carlo casino to count one million dollars worth of poker chips, the teams made a short pit stop to see Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton who guided the final Amazing Race pairs toward his Vegas estate where Amazing race host, Phil Keoghan waited with eliminated competitors for the first team to hit the mat and take both the 15th title of The Amazing Race and the million dollar prize. When the amazing Vegas stakes were over at the finish line, Meghan and Cheyne became this season's winners of The Amazing Race.

The next day we caught up with Amazing Race winners Meghan and Cheyne to find out what it feels like to win The Amazing Race, who Meghan and Cheyne considered their stiffest competition, how Cheyne overcame his fear of heights atop Mandalay Bay, how Meghan handled the grueling hay bale task, and the one part of The Amazing Race that Meghan and Cheyne wish got aired that fans didn't see.

THE DEADBOLT: So I was counting all the things that you guys won from each leg and it's like you won The Price is Right.

CHEYNE WHITNEY: Well, I think we're actually going to give one of our trips to Ericka and Brian because they were great competitors and they were great friends of ours. So I think they're going to get to go to Lanai, Hawaii, which will be cool for them because they never got to do a real honeymoon. The race was kind of like their honeymoon. But Meghan and I were like, "This is no kind of honeymoon."

THE DEADBOLT: So who did you guys see as your main competition?

CHEYNE: You know, all of the teams were really strong on the starting line and we were like, "Damn, there's not one weak team." That's really how we felt. But as the competition went on, we knew Sam and Dan were competitors, Ericka and Brian always fought and they never gave up, and the Globetrotters were obviously a physical threat as a presence. But I think we really focused on ourselves, so we never worried about another team.

THE DEADBOLT: It didn't seem like you guys experienced the tactics by Sam and Dan like some of the other teams did. Was it because you were out in front most of the time?

CHEYNE: Yeah, I think that had to do with it. You know what? We really kept up our relations with them and we built friendships that worked big on the show. So although they might've stepped on other friends' toes, I think people weren't really out to get us in a way. Although we were winning, I think we really - during the downtime - tried to keep up relations, which was a huge part of our strategy.

THE DEADBOLT: When you look back, how do you feel about jumping in the cab and skipping out on the Globetrotters? If you didn't do that, would it have been different?

[The Amazing Race] CHEYNE: I feel at this point in the race, that was my move. I could've been more polite about it and I think that was Meghan's point. It wasn't that she didn't think we should bail out on the Globetrotters, it was that I could've been more polite about it.

MEGHAN: Our whole strategy going into the race was that we were going to be a nice team, because there was no reason to be a target. We were already winning legs and that already made us a target. But if we were a rude or obnoxious team winning legs, it would make it even worse. And the Globetrotters are the kind of people where if they get rubbed the wrong way, they make it a personal goal to get that team. So I had no problem taking that cab, I wanted to take that cab.

You know, Flight Time said, "What are you guys doing?" I said, "We're going to take that cab," and Cheyne just ignored them. They asked another question and Cheyne just ignored them. I was just trying to do good PR for our team and just tell them, "Hey, we're going to take this cab. We'll see you in fifteen minutes when you get there." I was just trying to be nice. There was no reason to be rude there.

CHEYNE: I was already incensed at Flight for going down the ladder slow, so I didn't care.

THE DEADBOLT: Cheyne, how did it feel to face your fear of heights at Mandalay Bay?

CHEYNE: Oh man, it was nuts. For the first hundred feet, I did have my eyes closed, because I knew if I didn't look down and I didn't look right away that I would have to be already committed and already into it. So I kept my eyes closed for the first little bit and once I opened them I actually enjoyed it. It was pretty crazy going down there although I think my harness wasn't correct because my feet actually were too far away from the building. So I was hanging there. Actually, it caused me to almost pass out because I wasn't able to breathe for the last two hundred yards. Meghan could see it on my face, I was gasping for breath as I tried to pull myself down. It was intense and crazy. But looking back, I'm so glad I got to do it.

THE DEADBOLT: Do you feel that there was a turning point in a specific leg where everything came together for you guys as a front running team?

[The Amazing Race] MEGHAN: Yeah. I think a huge turning point in the race was the Fast Forward in Dubai. It was the first time we really got ahead ahead, it set us up for the next leg, and it allowed us to gain confidence for the rest of the race and feel comfortable leading the pack. So it was a huge turning point.

THE DEADBOLT: How did you feel about the hay bales?

MEGHAN: I hated the hay bales, they were awful. It was emotionally and physically draining out there for three and a half hours. There were a hundred and eighty six hay bales and seven flags and it was the most frustrating thing being out there for an hour and fifteen minutes before some of the other teams even arrived. It was just like we were out there unrolling the hay bales and making all of these teams chances of finding a flag a lot better. So it was very, very stressful. I got to the point where I was kind of getting delusional and was like, "I don't know if I can ever find this thing." It was very, very tough.

THE DEADBOLT: Was there anything you guys wish we saw that didn't get aired?

MEGHAN: Yeah, there is. There's one big thing. It was in Dubai when we took the Fast Forward. Cheyne and I were shocked when we saw this episode, because we had originally decided not to take the Fast Forward. Because I had talked Cheyne into not taking it, I told him, "We are the first group, let's just be safe. We're a few minutes ahead of everyone, we'll just get to the challenge and get it done." And Cheyne said, "No. This is our opportunity to break free from everyone and get in first place."

So we went back and forth and decided not to take it and went to a gas station with the other half of the teams that we were with to get directions to the reserve to do the water and earth challenge. I asked, "Do you know where the Autodrome is where the cars were?" He said, "Yeah, sure." So he started taking us, pulled over and said, "I have to go to work." He left us in the middle of the desert. So we roamed around the desert for about an hour and had no idea where we were going. He gave us horrible directions. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. So I tracked down a truck and begged him to take us there. He took us there and we had to sit through a thirty minute PowerPoint presentation on the rules of that track. I mean, literally two hours had passed on the Fast Forward.

[The Amazing Race] When we watched the episode, it said, "Meghan and Cheyne are taking the Fast Forward and they arrive at the Autodrome." It was just like, "Oh my gosh, you've got to be kidding me!" I wish that part would've aired because I was a little overwhelmed at the race track and I had some tears and stuff. Everybody was like, "What's her problem? Why is she overwhelmed?" It was just like, "Oh my gosh, you have no idea what we just went through."

THE DEADBOLT: As a couple, how did it bring you guys together?

CHEYNE: We've been friends since elementary school and we were really good friends in high school and we've been dating for five years. So it wasn't really a make or break type situation. It was more like how much closer it's going to bring us together and it really did bring us closer together. I mean, sharing this was a life changing experience for each of us. Together, as a couple, it's like having a lifetime of experiences in a month.

THE DEADBOLT: So any wedding plans in Vegas?

CHEYNE: [laughs] I don't think so. Maybe after we get the check we'll start thinking about a wedding.

On last night’s season finale of The Amazing Race, Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney were the first to cross the finish line, and won the million dollar grand prize. The couple had undoubtedly run the best race, finishing first in 7 of the 12 legs. A clue that took them to the wrong casino in Las Vegas could have been their undoing but Meghan and Cheyne battled back, completed their last task (counting poker chips to equal $1 million), and headed for the finish line. Today, the winners of The Amazing Race spoke to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about their victory and their experiences on the show.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How does it feel, now that you can finally reveal to your friends and family that you won The Amazing Race?A. Meghan: It’s been very difficult. I think Cheyne enjoyed having this million dollar secret. This is the biggest thing that ever happened to us. We couldn’t tell anyone that we won the dang thing. It’s been a very hard time.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Whose idea was it to try out for The Amazing Race and what made you want to do it?A. Cheyne: We’ve been fans of the race since high school independently. My grandmother was a huge fan and Meghan’s mom was a huge fan. When we started dating, we were only 19, and I said, “When I turn 21, let’s apply,” and that‘s what we did. We applied for season 13 and they said we were inexperienced but that we should come back. We went through the whole casting process last season as well and we feel very close to that cast.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You two treated each other very well throughout the race. Did it take its toll on your relationship at any point?A. Meghan: We went into the race not thinking that this was going to make or break us. A lot of people say that. We knew each other well and we knew that breaking up was not an option. We grew from this experience. We were very, very supportive. We knew the better we worked together, the better chance we had at the million.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Meghan certainly carried her own weight this season and was a very strong female competitor. Cheyne, you must be so proud of her.A. Cheyne: Absolutely! I was so overwhelmed. I kept referring to that on the pit stops, on the mat… there’s a lot of videos that show that. She was tentative before the race with a lot of things but she never second guessed anything once we were on the race. She was always encouraging and helpful. I expected nothing less.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: This cast, more than any other I’ve seen, seems to have the best bond and relationship and were very good to each other. Was that something you had planned to do going in or something that developed as you got to know these people?A. Meghan: I think a lot of people came into the race with the same strategy: be ourselves, be nice people, be competitive. I think every team had that attitude. That was our attitude going into it. Our strategy was really to play our own game and focus on ourselves. We wanted to be encouraging to other teams when it wouldn’t help them advance. If a team is arriving to a challenge and you’re leaving, you can tell them where the clue box is. You know they’re gonna find it in 2 seconds. You mind as well let them think that you’re a nice person. We were just nice to people and they were nice back to us.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: I predicted that you would win because you really ran the best race. When you look at your overall performance, is there a leg that you thought was your best or strongest?A. Cheyne: I think we worked together best in the last leg. We might not have made every right decision but we stayed calm and we were really positive and happy. We were just happy to be in the final three and do the whole race. I think we worked really well together in that last leg.A. Meghan: Also, that leg in Estonia was almost easy for us. We were the first ones off of the ferry, first ones in the taxi, Cheyne was the first one done with the candelabra challenge, we were the first two get to the bog, we were the first to finish that volleyball challenge… we all started from the exact same ferry. That was a really good leg for us.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: When you two went to the wrong casino, I started to get nervous for you. How did you catch back up and end up crossing that finish line first?A. Meghan: We were probably 10 minutes behind Sam and Dan. When we arrived in the room, I could hear they had some frustration that we had arrived. You can see that they were panicking a little bit. I felt like they were nervous and I said, “Let’s just kill ‘em.” They were trying to psych us out and say they were almost done but I knew they weren’t. We could hear Ericka and Brian going back and forth. I kept saying, “Move your fingers as fast as you can!” Brian and Ericka and Sam and Dan haven’t played poker but Cheyne plays a lot so he’s used to stacking chips. It was his idea to count one stack and level all of them out. That’s what we did and everyone else counted each chip.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Now that the race is over, what is next for the two of you?A. Cheyne: I think the possibilities are endless. We’ve had some opportunities, some people have offered us some things…. We really wanna do another adventure. We love to give back and we want to make an impact while doing cool things. We’re really going to have to sit down over the next week or so to figure out what our next step is going to be. After running this race, I feel like the possibilities are endless!

After finishing first six times in 11 legs, The Amazing Race 15 was Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney’s to lose — and the San Diego-based couple did not disappoint. Rickey, a publicist, and Whitney, an after-school band manager, both 23, talked with PEOPLE about how the competition affected their relationship, how they intend to spend their $1 million prize and if wedding bells will be ringing soon. — Carrie Bell

You were a strong team from the start. What do you attribute your consistent winning streak too?Cheyne: It comes down to the fact that we have known each other for so long and we work very well together. Our strengths balance out each other’s weaknesses. We stayed focused on ourselves and didn’t think about what other teams were doing or how. It has been our dream for five years to go on the Race together and we were just happy to be there doing it.

The Race has broken and saved relationships. How did it affect yours?Meghan: We didn’t come into it thinking it would make or break us. Instead we looked at it as an opportunity to compete in the ultimate race and see all these countries together. We knew that getting along would help us and fighting would hurt us so we tried not to fight and when we disagreed, we tried to resolve it and move on. It’s not about the money although it’s a great addition to our lives. It reaffirmed to me that we are a great couple and that Cheyne will always be there for me. It made us better and stronger.

Before racing began, Meghan hoped it would make her a less fearful person. Did it work?Meghan: I’m a very fearful person, but also a competitive, determined person who doesn’t like things getting in my way. The Race was a great reason for me to get over it. I was never afraid on the Race. I didn’t have time to be. It was a huge accomplishment for me to shed my fears and take everything as it came. Typically I would have been too scared to go down that slide in Dubai but I told myself, “This is why you are here. Don’t you want to win?” I hope I can maintain that fearlessness in life.Cheyne: I was so proud. She was so in the zone the whole time that I don’t think they could have thrown anything at us that would have stopped her.

You went to the wrong hotel in Vegas, which could have cost you it all. Cheyne: That thought crosses your mind, but we were very calm that leg, more than on any other. You can’t worry about the mistakes or give up. We never thought we were out.Meghan: We also didn’t know how close to the end that was so we worked off the assumption that we’d be able to catch up.

Boy, did you. You blew through the poker chip counting.Meghan: If the poker girls had been there, we would have been toast because they can stack chips in their sleep. Luckily, Cheyne likes poker and plays with his friends a lot so I let him do his thing and I just collected stuff as fast as I could. The other teams seemed to be counting each and every chip so we managed to get ahead again.

What are you plans for your winnings?Meghan: We have been debating this for a couple of months whenever we were alone at dinner. The whole time Cheyne planned to buy a white Range Rover if we won.Cheyne: That would be the impulse buy but I’m trying to keep my impulses in check. Also we won so many awesome prizes that I don’t need to buy impulse stuff. I’ve wanted jet-skis since high school and my perfect day would be waking up at a ski resort and we won a trip to Aspen. So we will probably do the smart thing and invest in a house. In California, that will probably eat up all the winnings.

Any favorite and least favorite tasks or stops?Meghan: I liked the volleyball challenge in Estonia. I played in high school. My least favorite challenge was easily the hay bales in Sweden. Vietnam was incredible and had never even considered it as a place to go on my own, but there was so much history and the people were so helpful and nice.Cheyne: It was a total culture shift from America, which was cool. My least favorite challenge was the golem task. It was physically demanding and it had already been a very long night. My favorite was driving the race car. When I read that clue, there was no question that I was doing that. It was a total pipe dream that made me consider going pro.

It’s a millionaire’s hobby. Maybe you can take it up now as a newly minted millionaire.Meghan: Let me remind you both that he’s only a half-millionaire.

Two words: community property. Maybe you should hurry up and get married. Cheyne: Engagement comes first. Maybe after we get the money we can start planning. Maybe we can do one of those wedding specials on CBS. It’ll happen eventually for sure.

What happened in Vegas remained a well-kept secret — one that was very hard to keep for Amazing Race champs Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney. The 23-year-olds, who have been dating for five years, overcame a face-first rappel down the Mandalay Bay, a bungee-jumping Cirque de Soleil act, a hotel mix-up and a poker chip-counting task before crossing the finish line first at Wayne Newton's house. "Every single season, I have cried at the finish because I got so attached to the teams," Meghan tells TVGuide.com. "To actually be in that situation was unreal." See what else the couple has to say.

TVGuide.com: You owned everyone at the chip-counting challenge since you got there third and left first. What was your strategy?Meghan: We just wanted to make it interesting! No, just kidding! Our strategy was not to worry about the other teams because there's nothing we can do about them. The other teams were, fortunately, counting their chips individually. Cheyne's played a lot of poker, so he knew to count one stack and stack the rest to that same level, so we got done a lot faster.Cheyne: I host a game at my house every week, so I work with poker chips all the time and that really did help. Meghan was awesome at finding all the chips at the right time and I just stacked. We worked really well together.

TVGuide.com: Do you know how far behind you were going into the chip task?Meghan: Sam and Dan got there 10 minutes before Brian and Ericka, and they got there five minutes before us. ... We lost about 10 minutes trying to find the Monte Carlo.Cheyne: Luckily, the Venetian was literally across the street from the back of the Monte Carlo. If it had been a different hotel, we could've lost the race.

TVGuide.com: You never really fought, not even when you couldn't figure out the hotel was the Monte Carlo. How did you stay calm?Meghan: We felt like there wasn't time to fight. Sometimes there are teams where it was almost like two different teams on one team, but we felt like we were one team. We felt like if we had a goal and we need to get this done quickly, we will work better together, so I think we did a good job with that.

TVGuide.com: Your only moment of friction that we saw was in the Czech Republic when you ditched the Globetrotters at the train station. Meghan, you wanted to work with them; Cheyne, you didn't. What happened there?Meghan: We always had the same strategy: If it didn't help advance the other team, [we would] encourage them, be nice to them because it helps you. That was the only time I felt like we disagreed. He thought I wasn't being competitive, but I was being competitive in a different way. I always planned to take that cab, but when they asked [us where we're going], Cheyne ignored them and I said, "Hey guys, we're going to take this cab." I think it's that simple: Just be nice when it doesn't matter.Cheyne: At that point, I was really like, "Cut our ties! It's about ourselves." It strayed from our original plan, but Meghan was trying to keep our P.R. up!

TVGuide.com: You tied Nick and Starr with seven wins and you won the last four legs, and now fans are saying you're one of the best teams ever, if not the best. How does that make you feel?Cheyne: Thank you so much! It makes us feel great just because we have been fans of The Amazing Race since Season 1. We started dating five years ago and we were like, "Oh, I love The Amazing Race!" "Oh, me too!" "Well, we're going to do it!" We applied for [Seasons] 13, 14 and finally got on 15. I believe in destiny and making your future happen. We didn't make 14, but if we did, I would've finished school, like, six months later. I wouldn't have gotten my job that I have. Everything fell into place and I think it's cool that people think we're the best Amazing Race team ever.

TVGuide.com: What are you going to do with the money?Cheyne: A million dollars is life-changing, but it's not enough to run off and spend it all. We're going to buy a house together and enjoy a comfortable life and not be too extravagant.

TVGuide.com: You also have six other prizes. Do you really have the need for a sauna in San Diego?Meghan: [Laughs] We laugh about that. Everyone's like, "You guys are going to sell that." But we said if we win, we'll keep the sauna, and if we don't, we'll sell the sauna. So it's our sauna! It makes us laugh when we talk about it.

TVGuide.com: Cheyne, we have to talk about the hair. Does it naturally stick up straight like that or was that all product?Cheyne: Woo! Woo! It's all natural, baby! [Laughs] No. We went through an airport and they tried to take my hairspray, which is wax because wax doesn't really come out when it gets wet. But the airport security took my wax, so I sprayed about three-quarters of the can into my hair and said, "Well, hopefully it'll stay for the rest of the trip!" And it did! Matt actually hooked me up with a little bit of hair gel on one leg, too, so that helped!

Meghan, a 23-year-old account executive from San Diego, CA, and Cheyne, a 23-year-old student also from San Diego, won The Amazing Race's fifteenth season during last night's finale broadcast of the CBS reality series.

Meghan and Cheyne defeated "Brothers" Daniel and Samuel McMillen, who finished second, and "Married Couple" Ericka Dunlap and Brian Kleinschmidt, who finished third, to claim the $1 million grand prize.

On Monday, Meghan and Cheyne talked to Reality TV World about why they were still confident despite arriving at the final task in last place, how their calm demeanor when dealing with each other and the other teams served them well, and what they think was one of their biggest boosts during the race.

Reality TV World: Congratulations!

Meghan: Thank you!

Cheyne: Thank you, thank you!

Reality TV World: You guys managed to go from last place to first place during the final poker chip counting task. How surprised were you that you actually managed to pull that off?

Cheyne: We weren't surprised. We were confident. When we arrived, the other teams definitely got a little frazzled and a little frustrated. We really focused on ourselves and we had a great strategy -- I play poker so I was stacking the chips and Meghan was finding the chips like a mad woman. So we really worked good together. I don't think we ever didn't expect to get out of there in first.

Reality TV World: So you were confident even though you showed up in last place?

Meghan: We were. And I think watching it last night on TV was intense because it was like you kind of looked at the time and you knew that the show was going to be over pretty soon and the task was at the end of it -- but in all honesty we didn't realize how close the finish line was.

We just said, "Okay, this is the challenge, let's do it." We tried not to think, "Oh my god! This is the $1 million right here! We've got to do this! We have to go as fast as we can!" You just have to focus and do it and not freak out that the finish line is going to be right there. We just focused on our game and we somehow pulled it out.

Reality TV World: About how long did the poker chip counting actually take?

Cheyne: It probably took about 20 to 30 minutes for us.

Reality TV World: Were you surprised that the final task didn't have to do with memory [of the Race's previous legs], which is how most The Amazing Race editions have ended lately?

Meghan: Absolutely. We've been fans of the race for a really long time and we were well aware that several of the last seasons have ended with a memory challenge -- and that's exactly why they changed it up. They know that people are expecting that, so they want to keep everyone on their toes and mix things up.

But we definitely were prepared. I was going to do that memory challenge, Ericka was going to do that memory challenge and Sam was going to do that memory challenge. We were all very, very, very prepared for it. We were all studying on the plane. We all had our own charts and graphs and journals. So it would have been an interesting time because all of us were just so ready for it.

Cheyne: It was cool to be counting $1 million and have $1 million at your hands thought, just because it was so representative of what was going on.

Cheyne: Absolutely. I play poker every week. When I was 16 I was sneaking into casinos to play poker. When you stack chips and you work with chips -- when I give my friends chips at my house and stuff -- you really learn how to stack them, how to even them out. It made a huge difference.

Reality TV World: The clue that had you looking for "the most famous casino in the country of Monaco" almost seemed to cost you guys the race -- especially after the taxi with Sam and Dan eventually went another route. Was it the fact that you saw them turning that really got you to change your mind or had you guys already committed to double-checking whether The Venetian was the right casino by that point?

Meghan: We were never committed to where we were going. We asked two people and right off the bat they said, "The Venetian. The Venetian." So we said, "Okay, that seems weird. It sounds like it's The Venetian." So we just weren't really sure.

Our taxi driver just made a quick turn and theirs made a quick turn and there was no, "We should follow them," because we just were kind of going at the same time. So we just decided to go to The Venetian and check. But the whole way to The Venetian we were yelling out the window asking the question -- no one could give us a solid answer. So when we went into The Venetian, they said right away, "Monte Carlo, no question." So we just took off for the Monte Carlo.

Reality TV World: After you found out the Monte Carlo was the right casino, it looked like you guys also lost some additional time getting stuck in traffic. About how far behind Dan and Sam do you think you arrived at the Monte Carlo, do you know?

Meghan: About 10 minutes.

Cheyne: Yeah, we were about 10 minutes behind -- which is a lot in the race, especially at that time.

Reality TV World: You guys used the Fast Forward on the fifth leg of the race and never finished lower than second on any of the legs after that. How big of a role do you think the Fast Forward played in your win?

Cheyne: I think it was really instrumental -- not just for the fact that we got a couple first places out of it. It really allowed us to work on our game and fine tune what we needed to do. We were running in the very front of the pack for three legs in a row at that point. Basically we knew if we could just stay ahead and not make too many big mistakes that we had it. It just really boosted our confidence in ourselves and in our game.

Reality TV World: You just mentioned how you didn't realize how close you were to the finish line while you were counting the poker chips. After that, it looked like you had a hard time finding the entrance to Wayne Newton's house -- were you concerned that it would cost you the $1 million?

Cheyne: Oh yeah.

Meghan: One-hundred percent.

Cheyne: We didn't know how far behind everybody was. We had no idea.

Meghan: For all we knew, Sam and Dan were going to be two seconds behind us. If you saw on the show, they counted our poker chips and said, "Correct." Then right after that they counted Sam and Dan's and they said, "Incorrect." But [we were gone so] for all we knew, they said correct. We didn't know. We thought they could be two seconds behind us. We really did not know.

So we took off and our cab driver said, "Yeah, I'll take you. I know where that is." So we start going and he turns the corner a street to early and takes us to the back entrance -- and there's about four or five entrances. So we went all the way up and down the street and checked every single door. At that point we were like, "Oh my gosh!" I was just envisioning Sam and Dan going to the right entrance, running through and winning because of that. So yeah, it definitely was terrifying. That was one of the scariest moments on the entire race.

Reality TV World: About how much time was there between when you crossed the finish line and when Sam and Dan crossed?

Meghan: It's hard to say.

Cheyne: It's hard to say because in our minds it's like a blur -- I feel like that whole leg was a dream, like some weird thing. But I'd say 10 minutes from Sam and Dan and about 15 to 20 from Ericka and Brian.

Reality TV World: We saw clashes between several other teams during the season, however you two never seemed to get into any arguments with any of the other teams. Why do you think that was the case? Was it simply because you spent a majority of the race ahead of most everyone else?

Cheyne: No, not at all actually. I'd say 75% of the time we would meet up with all the teams on a plane. So we were with a lot of the people for a lot of the time. I think it was the fact that our game strategy included keeping up with relations with all of the other teams. It does play a big role in the game, and if someone wants to U-Turn you or mislead you on purpose, if you don't make enemies it can only help you. It's not going to hurt you. So that was definitely part of our strategy, was to be nice to everybody else.

Reality TV World: You two also argued very little with each other. How do you think you were able to do that? Do you think it played a large role in winning?

Meghan: I think it definitely, definitely played a large role. Not many teams have argued with each other the entire time and have won the race. So we knew that coming in that it's going to be a whole lot easier to get along the whole way and encourage each other and work together -- we don't want to work against each other, we're just going to waste our own time and energy.

So that was a huge part of coming into the race for us. That was our goal: Not arguing with each other, work together as a team. That's what we did. We didn't want to be that couple either, you know?

Reality TV World: After you won, Cheyne you praised Meghan for being a strong competitor "even compared to the guys." Do you think having such a strong female partner is what gave you an edge over some of the other teams?

Cheyne: Absolutely. We may not have been the most physically strong team, but besides ["Teammates" Herbert "Flight Time" Lang and Nathaniel "The Big Easy" Lofton], we were the most athletic team. Meghan is just a great athlete. I never once would have wanted another guy on my team.

Males and females, we're different breeds -- so I think it's good to have that balance. A few of the last teams that have won, it's been a male/female team. I know male teams often dominate because of their strength, but I think it does take a good balance of a team and that's really what makes a solid team.

Reality TV World: You already mentioned the flight. It seemed like the teams were always on the same flight this season when traveling from country to country. Seeing as how you were in first for a majority of the race, do you think it's somewhat unfair that a lot of your leads were basically reduced to nothing because the other teams were allowed to get on the same flight as you?

Meghan: I don't think it's fair at all [but] that's the race. If it wasn't like that and one team had a lucky break or whatever, they would be days ahead and it wouldn't be what's so great about this show -- about this race. The whole excitement is that if you fall behind you have that chance to catch up and if you get ahead, they have that chance to be slowed down. It's what makes the race great.

Reality TV World: How were you cast for The Amazing Race? Was it your first time applying for the show?

Cheyne: Like she said, we've been fans from Season 1. We applied for Season 13 right when I turned 21 and we got a call back and they were a little bit interested and they said, "Apply again next year once you guys grow up a little." So we applied and we made it to the final casting last year -- we were actually in the final group with a lot of last season's cast. So our third time was a charm!

Reality TV World: You guys said you know you're going to end up getting married during your The Amazing Race introduction interview -- any engagement yet?

Meghan: (laughing)

Cheyne: No engagement. We're waiting for Jimmy Fallon tonight

Reality TV World: Any plans for the prize money yet?

Cheyne: It's not that much money. A lot of people would just jump and buy a new car or a couple of new cars -- go buy a bunch of new shit. But I think we're really going to just try and live a comfortable life, probably purchase a house and invest the rest of what we have.

Reality TV World: Did you have a hard time keeping the victory from family and friends?

Meghan: It definitely was one of the hardest challenges of this whole thing.

Cheyne: It was nice to have our own little secret. I could wink at her across a room and she knew what I meant.

Meghan: Yeah, he thought it was fun. But my parents had just been grilling me for a few months and it's been hard. So it's definitely nice. We're here in New York right now, but at midnight my family on the West Coast found out and it was exciting.

Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney, winners of the popular CBS reality television show "The Amazing Race" season 15, were among the scores of visitors Sunday enjoying a day of fun at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park near Escondido.

The couple's excursion was at the park's invitation.

After traveling to nine countries in 22 days, the millionaire couple, who were forced to keep their victory a secret for more than four months, took advantage of the opportunity to get up-close and personal with a number of the park's exotic animal attractions.

The couple started their day on the park's Photo Caravan Safari, which took them on the back of a flatbed truck down into the animal enclosures, where Rickey and Whitney posed for pictures as they fed the rhinos and giraffes. During the ride, they sent updates to their Twitter account to inform their fans about their experiences.

Despite being afraid of heights, the two then ascended to a hillside platform 900 feet above the San Pasqual Valley, where they were strapped into harnesses and sent down a zip line at speeds of up to 50 mph. Before taking off, Rickey said that the ride was the closest thing to a race challenge that they've done since participating in "The Amazing Race." Afterward, Whitney admitted that the ride provided him with the most excitement he's had since rappelling face-first down the 62-story Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

Brothers Steve and Mike Wylie of San Carlos, who brought their families to the Wild Animal Park as part of a Christmas gift, spotted the couple and recognized them immediately. The two brothers are big fans of the show and auditioned to be contestants two seasons ago.

"I knew it was them right away," Mike Wylie said. "We really enjoyed watching them on the show, especially since they're from San Diego."

Rickey, 24, and Whitney, 23, met while playing a game of tetherball in elementary school and remained close friends until about five years ago, when they began dating. Participating in the race has been a dream of theirs for the last four years. The couple auditioned for the show three years in a row and were convinced that one day they would be contestants.

Since announcing their victory in early December, the two have been busy running from one event to the next. So far, they said that they haven't had an opportunity to slow down and relax. Whitney admitted that his only purchase since winning the $1 million has been a white Range Rover Sport, which he's dreamed about owning for quite some time. Rickey said that she hasn't touched any of her winnings so far and has her sights set on purchasing a new home in the near future.

"Since being on 'The Amazing Race,' our perspectives about the United States has changed," Rickey said. "We've come to appreciate how great our life here really is." The couple said that they want to give back in a way that will help raise global awareness. Rickey is an account executive at a public relations firm and Whitney works for a social-change marketing company where he develops after-school programs.

After orchestrating a romantic weekend as elaborate as any leg of The Amazing Race, Cheyne Whitney, 23, who won the 15th season last December with his longtime girlfriend Meghan Rickey, 24, popped the question near their home base of San Diego on Sunday.

“Other than ‘what are you going to do with the $1 million,’ the question that comes up the most is, ‘when are you guys going to get married?’” Whitney tells PEOPLE. “And I’ve been planning this since the Race ended, so I’ve been like, ‘I’m working on it! I’m working on it!’”

The Plan: It all started after their Amazing Race win when “I fake-proposed to Meghan on Jimmy Fallon,” Whitney says. “Brides magazine thought that I really did propose, so they emailed us the day later and asked if Meghan would like to pose for a wedding dress? I kind of intervened and said, ‘Hey, would you like to work on the proposal? I have some ideas!’ And they were super-helpful. I really did plan it since Dec. 10. For two-and-a-half months I have been planning this day!”

On Friday, Feb. 26, Whitney shopped at his local Robbins Brothers store in San Diego and picked out an ArtCarved 2010 Limited Edition platinum engagement ring with a princess cut diamond and diamond side stones. “I did show her best friend the ring,” Whitney says, “and she said she loved it and that Meghan would love it, so that was reassuring.”

Then on Sunday, Feb. 28, after a romantic weekend where they stayed in the presidential suite at the Omni San Diego, the whirlwind proposal would happen.

The Big Day: “We stayed downtown together,” Whitney says, “and Sunday we went on a helicopter ride off the coast, had lunch at a winery, went home and then did a walk down memory lane. We went to the elementary school we met at, the middle school we always used to hang out at, the high school we became really good friends at, and then went to this little lookout point where we’ve been going since we started dating.”

At the lookout point, Whitney handed Rickey a copy of the April issue of Brides. “He told me he had some rings to show me in the magazine,” Rickey says, “and I was like, ‘Okay, that’s kind of weird,’ and he opened up the page and I saw my name first at the top and was like, ‘What the heck?’ And saw our picture at the bottom, and I just read it and I could not believe it.”

The words read, “Meghan, will you marry me?”

“I was shocked,” Rickey admits. “I was kind of confused at first, like, I just didn’t know what was going on but once it hit me, I was in tears, and I was totally overwhelmed and shocked! It felt like I had won The Amazing Race!”

Says Whitney, “I kind of handed her the magazine, and she was taking it in and I pulled out the ring at the moment and got down on my knee, and I think it kind of sunk in for her right then. I opened up the box and I just told her that I’ve known since we started dating that she was the one.”

For a final surprise, Whitney had a crew from Entertainment Tonight come out from the bushes to capture the happy engagement. “There were cameras hiding and it was all crazy,” Rickey says with a laugh. “I didn’t realize Cheyne had done all that work to make this happen.”

Although they don’t plan to tie the knot soon, Rickey jokes, “I always tease Cheyne because I’m the planner in this relationship and I’ve been very impressed by his planning abilities, and he may be doing more of the wedding planning!” –Cynthia Wang

Tell us: For a couple that’s been around the world a lot, where should they honeymoon?